The present invention relates to defensive weapons and pertains particularly to an anti-ship torpedo defense missile system for intercepting and destroying incoming torpedos.
Continued improvement in weapon systems, both in offensive and defensive types, are essential in order for a nation to maintain its security against potential invaders. One of the most critical defense systems essential to this security is that of the interception and destruction of torpedos launched at ocean going vessels, both of the commercial and military type.
The speed and sophistication of currently available torpedos make many of the prior art anti-torpedo systems obsolete. Many of todays torpedos are capable of high speed evasive maneuvering to avoid anti-torpedo systems.
The prior art anti-torpedo systems are exemplified in the following patents:
British Specification Pat. No. 100,691, issued June 13, 1916 to Demetrio Maggiora. This patent discloses a method of protecting ships and apparatus for use therein which consists of creating by simultaneously discharging a large number of projectiles in a zone of disturbance around a ship on one side or on all sides as soon as attack is signaled by a ship. In order to create this zone, use is made of percussion of fuze projectiles, the exploding of which is adjusted to a predetermined distance and are thrown at different ranges outward from the vessel being protected. The theory of the method is that any torpedo entering the zone of disturbance is destroyed or caused to deviate and cannot reach the ship.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,195,042, issued Aug. 15, 1916 to Leon is directed to means for preventing attacks of torpedos or the like. The patent is directed to means for preventing attacks of torpedos or the like and is somewhat similar to the previously described British disclosure and consists essentially of placing explosives, such as by means of tubes or guns in the path of the oncoming torpedo. The ejection of the explosive agent is determined automatically by a sound receiver or telephonic receiver carried by the ship. The telephone receivers are connected with the discharging mechanism of the torpedo tubes for automatically discharging the torpedos upon receiving sound through the receiver.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,875,844, issued Apr. 8, 1975 to Hicks and directed to an anti-torpedo system. This patent discloses an embodiment wherein the presence of oncoming torpedos is made manifest by change of antenna current of the radial frequency transmitting system in which a reference line comprises an antenna which is arranged within the water a predetermined distance from the vessel and parallel thereto. This change in antenna current causes one or more of a plurality of guns, mortars or other launching apparatus on the vessel to fire missiles having an explosive charge therein into the water just inside the reference line and in the direction from which the torpedo is approaching when the torpedo has arrived at a predetermined distance from the vessel. The explosion of the missiles discharged from the vessel are expected to thus hit and destroy or at least disable the torpedo.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,943,870, issued Mar. 16, 1976 to Paslay, is directed to a pinging control anti-torpedo device. In this patent the system disclosed includes a plurality of rocket launchers, each of which includes three launching tubes for laying out a pattern of anti-torpedo rockets. The tubes of each rocket launcher are arranged in a fan-like manner such that rockets when simultaneously projected from the tubes and exploded within the water set up patterns at a predetermined distance from the vessel, such as 175 feet in spaced relationship. The explosive pattern for the launching tubes provide destructive zones set up for intercepting and destroying incoming torpedos. The launchers selectively project the rockets in accordance with signals received from the oncoming torpedo indicative of the speed for the firing thereof to intercept the torpedo.
While many anti-torpedo weapon systems are available and others have been proposed, a great deal of room for improvement exists in such systems. It is desirable, for example, that the accuracy and efficiency of such systems be improved. It is also desirable that the costs of such systems be greatly reduced.